The present invention relates to a medical device assembly, and in particular for urinary hydrophilic catheters. Catheters are commonly used for draining bodily fluids, e.g. from the bladder. Urinary catheters are e.g. used by a large group of persons for intermittent catheterization, which is a daily-life procedure, taking place several times a day. Typically catheters for intermittent catheterization are used by patients suffering from urinary incontinence or by disabled individuals like para- or tetraplegics. Using an intermittent catheter, the bladder may be drained through a natural or artificial urinary canal. Many catheters for intermittent catheterization are provided with a hydrophilic coating or the like, providing a smooth and slippery surface when wetted, for safe and comfortable insertion in the urinary canal.
Many hydrophilic catheter assemblies include a supply of wetting fluid, either in direct contact with the catheter or in a separate compartment, for clean and convenient activation of the hydrophilic surface before use.
However, there is still a need for improved packages for such catheter assemblies. The package should preferably be relatively simple and cost-efficient to produce. Further, the package should be easy to open, even for users with reduced dexterity. Still further, the package should enable adequate wetting of the catheter, and handling of the package in a clean manner. The package should also preferably be rather small, so that it can easily be carried around by the user in his/her daily life. It would also be highly advantageous if the package is resealable, so that the catheter package could be re-closed after use, if it cannot be immediately disposed of. In particular, it would be advantageous if the package would be resealable to enclose also a wet product and/or a wetting fluid without any risk for spillage.
Patent application US 2011/056852 by the same applicant discloses a urinary catheter assembly having a resealable opening. However, even though this catheter assembly is highly useable for short catheters, for female users, re-insertion of longer catheters, typically for male users, may be cumbersome and with the risk of spillage and the like. Male catheters may be 40 cm long, or even longer, and insertion of the tip portion through the resealable opening without touching the insertable part of the catheter is rather difficult, especially for users with reduced dexterity. Further, closing of the resealable opening after re-insertion of the catheter in a sufficiently sealed manner may also be difficult with this known catheter assembly, and again, especially for users with reduced dexterity. There is therefore a need for a catheter assembly with resealable opening enabling easier re-insertion of the catheter.
Many other types of medical devices face similar problems.
In conclusion there is still a need for an improved medical device assembly of the above discussed general type.